As soon as I took up my position as Director of the Oran Graduate School of Economics, I initiated a pedagogical and scientific audit to ensure the quality of the training offer and its adequacy to the place that a higher school should occupy in the national cartography of higher education.

                 To this end, my team and I have embarked on a process of self-assessment and external evaluation of our training programs, based on consultation with faculty members and students. In my view, this consultation is essential in order to gather the opinions of the various users on the degrees we produce and on the potential of our graduates’ integration in the job market. Surveys have been conducted with our economic and social partners on the qualification of our pedagogical curricula. These surveys were accompanied by an examination of international training offerings in our field of study. The lessons learned from these pedagogical and scientific assessments led us to initiate a thorough overhaul of our training offerings, with a view to implementing our new school project.

                Today, through the new governance of our school, we are trying to complete this process to ensure the recognition of our institution as a renowned graduate school in its scientific perimeter, which is that of economics. Our Master’s level training offer now covers almost all the related fields and disciplines of economics (Organizational Sciences, Mathematics, Digital, Finance and Markets, Economic Intelligence, Energy and Environment, etc.). This training offer, which is divided into 6 specialties, is undeniably one of the major offerings in economics in the Algerian university landscape, as well as internationally.

                This offer encompasses the most recent academic knowledge in our discipline, and is fully in line with the promotion of recognized and valued skills in diversified business sectors ranging from industry to services: from banking and business services to administrations and health services, both in Algeria and in the rest of the world.

                As you can see, we are constantly listening to the private sector and public administration to promote the socio-economic integration of our graduates. We are also, obviously, attentive to the academic world to ensure the quality and scientific value of our curricula. 

              The knowledge and skills contained in these curricula form the indispensable basis of training at a higher school of economics. I cited a few examples above. However, whatever their importance and qualities, they would be incomplete and imperfect if we are not also interested in the development of transversal competencies or soft skills. These refer to the notions of autonomy and knowing how to act, notions which are essential for the development of our graduates in a professional context, enabling them to put into practice the potential acquired during their time at school. For my part, I believe that there is still much to be done in this area, and it is the responsibility of all the school’s faculty members not to be content with limiting their teaching hours in the strict sense, but to innovate in terms of teaching methods, by organizing activities which, by their structure and content, enable students to develop cross-disciplinary skills, particularly those linked to openness to the world and social and civic responsibility.

              In this context, raising awareness of entrepreneurial culture and encouraging innovation of both our teachers and students must be at the basis of all our teaching. They must resolutely see themselves as “entrepreneurs-innovators”.

To reinforce this evolution or trajectory, it is important to be aware of the importance of a digital policy in the pedagogical, scientific and administrative governance of higher education establishments. To this end, we have set the goal of implementing a digital strategy in the second half of 2023 and throughout 2024, as a whole school project that will affect all structures, from teaching and research to management processes, with the ultimate aim of making our school an efficient organization.

                  Finally, it is important that the people who make up our institution (students, faculty members and administrative staff) share this vision and are convinced of its relevance. This is the only way our young school will be able to carry out its many stimulating missions.

Mrs Khalissa SEMAOUNE

01 juillet 2023.